Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has assured Delhiites that they would not have to live without electricity, although he did ask the people to be ready for “some difficulties” in case power distribution companies continued with their “blackmailing” tactics.

Amid the continuing standoff between the AAP government and Anil Ambani’s BSES discoms, which are pressing for a hike in power tariffs, Kejriwal said that he had no personal issue with either Ambani or the Tatas, who run another discom in the capital.

“We would be very happy to work with them if they want to do honest business,” he told PTI Editors.

Providing uninterrupted power to Delhi was part of the terms of licence for the discoms, Kejriwal said, adding that “if they (discoms) violate the terms… then they better go”. He warned the discoms that they will not be allowed to “blackmail” the people of the city and assured that his government would not let “Delhiites live without power”.

“This is not only my struggle. If you go to the people, they are very upset with the issue of electricity. It is a collective struggle and we will have to fight together.

“If we want to stop the blackmail, we should be ready for some difficulties in the transition period and everyone will have to bear it,” he said.

Alleging that there was “active collusion” between the companies and the previous Congress government, Kejrial said that the power tariff would be decided on the basis of the CAG scrutiny of the three private discoms.

“There was active collusion between the companies and the previous government. Now the message to them is very clear. We would be very happy to work with them if they want to do honest business. We have no personal issues with either Tatas or Ambanis.”

Anil Ambani group companies BSES Rajdhani Power Ltd and BSES Yamuna Power Ltd supply electricity to 70 per cent of the consumers in Delhi while Tata Power Delhi Distribution Ltd caters to the rest of the areas, except the localities under New Delhi Municipal Council.

“We are neither friends nor enemies. But if they want to function the same way like they did previously, that wouldn’t work,” the Chief Minister said.

Asked what kind of action his government was contemplating in case the discoms failed to provide uninterrupted power and whether other players are being brought in, Kejriwal said, “Recourses are very many, but I cannot disclose those right now.”

“They cannot threaten us that we will cut power for 10 hours, give us money. That will not work. It’s part of their terms of licence that they have to provide uninterrupted power. If they violate the terms of their licence, then they better go,” he stressed.

Delhi government had last Monday recommended to the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission that it revoke the licences of BSES discoms if they resort to long continued…